Dennis Martinez trying to make Astros believe in themselves

New Astros bullpen coach Dennis Martinez has his hands full trying to mold a young staff into the type of accomplished pitcher he was in 23 major league seasons. (Karen Warren/Chronicle)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Dennis Martinez doesn’t need the Astros. He doesn’t even need Major League Baseball.

Martinez won 245 games as a smart, fearless righthander. He appeared in four All-Star contests, twice finished in the top five of Cy Young Award voting, and threw the 13th perfect game in MLB history on July 28, 1991.

Then there was the 3.70 ERA in 23 seasons; two World Series appearances; the most wins ever among Latin American-born pitchers; the first Nicaraguan-born athlete in MLB.

Martinez’s nickname says it all: El Presidente.

Which is why the 57-year-old Astros bullpen coach can lean against a dugout railing on a bright and crisp early March day in Lakeland, Fla., allow the sun to bounce off his flashy orange-and-blue uniform and graying beard, and discuss his deep belief in pitching while words such as instinct, ability, control, guts and self-ownership confidently pour out of his mouth.

“You’re not just a thrower out on the mound,” Martinez said. “You have the ball on the mound, and you have to make a decision about your job. … You have to throw the ball with conviction.”